Backplate for gas installation housings



June 2, 1942. r P. A. ANDERSON 2,284,712

BACKPLATE FOR GAS INSTALLATION HQUSINGS Filed March 17, 1941- .MQML I Ia Snnentor Z0 attornegs.

Patented June 2, 1942 BACKPLATE FOR GAS INSTALLATION HOUSINGS.

Peter A. Anderson, Portland, Maine, assignor to Utilities Distributors,Inc., Portland, Maine, a

corporation of Maine Application March 17, 1941, Serial No. 3523.830

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-112) The present invention relates to improvements inbackplates for gas installation housings and constitutes an improvementover the device disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,105,135 grantedJanuary 11, 1938.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved backplate in whichfacility in mounting the backplate upon a wall or other support ispromoted to a high degree, and wherein the backplate will be moresecurely held in place; and further wherein the attachment of'thefastening means to the wall or other support is simplified and madeeasier.

Another object of the invention resides in providing an improvedbackplate in whichprovision is made for ease and adaptability inattaching regulating or other instruments where those instruments andtheir fastening means vary in construction and detail and thus requirevariations in the effective cooperating means on the backplate.

A still further object of the invention is. to provide an improvedbackplate which cooperates in an improved manner with the supportingprop for the hood.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedmounting for the hinged prop on the hood.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will behereinafter more fully described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawing in which like parts are denoted by the same referencecharacters throughout the several views, a

Figure 1 is a rear elevation with a part of the tank broken away showingan improved backplate and installation constructed in accordance withthe present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the center of the backplateinstallation, the partsbeing shown in elevation.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the improved backplate and its hinge.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a form of prop employed.

Figure 5 is a disassembled view, with a portion of the hood shown insection and the backplate broken away, showing the prop and its means ofsupport, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified form oflocking arm.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in which only a, singleembodiment of the invention port, and II a gas tank forming part of theinstallation.

To the support I0 is affixed the improved backplate by means of screws,bolts or other appropriate fastenings l2 and I3 having heads l4 and I5which are spaced outwardly from the support I0.

The upper fastening heads M are of a size to pass through the enlargedlower portions l6 of slots ll made in an upper attaching section 18 ofthe improved backplate. The slots I! extend generally in a verticaldirection and are narrow and elongated in this direction. The width ofslots I! is such as to slidably receive the shanks of the fastenings l2but too narrow to permit the passage of the heads I4 therethrough.Consequently the procedure that is required is to raise the backplatesufficiently high initially to enable the enlarged openings I6toregister with the heads I4 of the fastenings; thereupon to push thebackplate toward the support Ii) in the act of passing the heads I4through openings 6 to cause heads M to now lie upon the outer face ofthe backplate; subsequently permitting the backplate to descend whichwill result in the narrow slots l1 sliding down over the shanks of thefastenings 12. The heads l4 being wider than the slots H, such heads Mwill cause interlocking engagement of 'the backplate with the fastil 'weight of the devices held thereby, and secondly,

is illustrated, I0 designates a wall or other supby'screwing thefastenings 12 into the support Ill so that heads 14 have a very tightfrictional binding engagement on the attaching section l8. By looseningthe fastenings IE to a slight degree, the backplate may be freely liftedoff the fastenings and detached completely from the support It).

This arrangement enables me to secure the fastenings l2 in the supportit] independently of the backplate and before the backplate is put inplace, and without having to hold the backplate up while the fasteningsare screwed through openings therein. The arrangement provides facilityin attaching the fastenings and later in hanging the backplate. It alsoeconomizes on time and makes for a more secure fastening.

After the backplate is thus assembled to the support I!) and the upperfastenings l2, the lower fastenings l3 may be engaged throughperforations IS in a lower attaching section 29 of the backplate. Theattaching sections l8 and 20 preferably lie substantially in the sameplane so as to fit flush against the face of the support I!) to whichthey are both secured.

The upper edge of the attaching section l6 carries a hinge leaf 2| on apintle 22, the axis of which lies in a substantially horizontal planejust forwardly of the plane of th attaching section l8.

The leaf 2| is riveted or otherwise secured to a hood 23 which is thusenabled to swing to the upper position indicated in full lines in Figure2 and to the dotted line position shown in this same figure.

Between the attaching sections I6 and 29, the backplate is formed with aforwardly-ofiset section 24 which extends in spaced relation away fromthe support II) to accommodate perhaps the fingers of an operative andalso wrenches and other tools by which such operative may secure thefastenings of a regulator 25 or other instruments usually carried inconnection with a gas installation, but primarily to accommodate theheads of screws or bolts by which regulator or other instruments arefastened.

The offset section 24 is cut through to provide a series of elongatedslots 25, 26, and 2'! spaced vertically one above another and being ofvariable lengths in a vertical of substantially vertical sense. Theseslots are narrow horizontally and elongated Vertically and have openings26, 29 and 39 at their upper portions communicating with the narrowerlower portions of the respective slots 25, 26, and 27. Other slots 3|and 32 in the offset section 24 are spaced at opposite sides from thevertical line of the slots 25, 26 and 21 and stepped vertically oneabove another. Such slots 3| and 32 have enlarged openings 33 and 34 attheir upper ends communicating with the narrower lower portions 3| and32.

The regulator 25' is generally formed with spacing members 35 whichengage against the front face of the offset section 24 of the backplate.Headed fastenings 36 extend through the spacing members 35 and into theinstrument 25'. The heads of the fastenings 36 are spaced rearwardlyfrom the spacing members 35.

With this instrument 25 the distance between fastenings 36 varies.

The procedure in mounting the instrument 25' is to move the form upagainst the offset section 24 of the backplate and to aline thefastenings 36 with two of the enlarged openings in the offset portionthrough which the enlarged heads of the fastenings 36 will freely passto the rear portion of'such ofiset section 24 sufficiently to enable theshanks of the fastenings 36 to slide down in the elongated slots. InFigures 1 and 2, a condition is shown in which the upper fastenings 36of the instrument 25 is received in slot 2! with the lower fastenings 36received in slot 26. In this particular case when the instrument is allowed to descend the shank of the upper fastening 36 abuts the bottom ofthe short slot 2?, which thus serves in part to support the instrument25; whereupon the operative tightens the fastenings 36 so that theenlarged heads bind tightly against the rear face of the offset section24 and draw up the instrument 25 and its spacing members 35 tightlyagainst the front face of offset action 2d.

In case the two fastenings 36 of an instrument 25' are spaced furtherapart than shown in Figure 1, such fastenings might still beaccommodated in slots 26 and 21 by following the procedure in which headof lower fastening 36 is first inserted in opening 29 while the upperpart of instrument is tilted slightl away from the backplate; and thento lower the instrument with the shank of the lower fastening ridingdown in the central slot 26, which it will be observed is of greatestvertical elongation, until the head of the upper fastening 36 arrives inregistry with opening 39; whereupon instrument 25' is erected or movedto an upright vertical position causing the enlarged head of its upperfastenings 36 to move through opening 39; whereupon the instrument maybe dropped until shank of upper fastening 36 encounters the base of theshort slot 21. In some cases, the fastenings will encounter the bottomsof both slots simultaneously.

In other cases, slots 25 and 26 may be used. Where the spacing of thefastenings 36 is unusually wide, slots 25 and 2? are used. Where it isdesirable to tilt the regulator, slots 3| and 32 may be used or eitherone of slots 3| or 32 may be used in conjunction with any of the slots25, 26 or 21.

The particular grouping of the slots in the vertical and horizontalspaced relation and in the stepped arrangement accommodatessubstantially all of the instruments of known standard constructions.The backplate is thus of a universal application.

A locking arm 39 is fitted at its inner end against section 26 of thebackplate and over openings l9 with fastenings i5 passing through suchinner end of the arm 39 and the openings E9 to secure the locking arm 39in place. As shown in Figure 2, the locking arm extends up diagonallyfrom the lower end of the backplate and through slot 46 of hood 23.Beyond the slot the arm 23 is perforated to receive padlock 4| to lockthe hood 23 in the lowered position.

In Figure 4, I have shown a prop 42 made of round or other cross sectionwith one end rolled to provide an eye 43, while an oifset portion 44 ismade in spaced relation to the free end 45.

The prop swings about the eye 43 in a mounting within the hood 23.

Such mounting is more particularly shown in Figure 5 in which thethreaded bolt 46 passes through an opening 41 in the hinge leaf 2! and aregistering opening 48 in the hood 23. The bolt.

also passes in sequence through a washer 49, a collar 59 on which theeye 43 swivels, and a washer 5|. A nut 62 is threaded on the bolt 46which has a head 53 engaging against the hinge leaf 4| while the nut 52engages against the washer 5|.

It will be noted that collar 59 is wider than eye 43 so that collar 53will project slightly to opposite sides of eye 43, thus holding washers49 and 5! from binding engagement against eye 43. Thus the prop 42 maybe free to turn about the axis of the bolt 46. A reasonable amount offrictional resistance to this turning may be had by the clampingengagement of washers 49 and 5| and/or by the gripping engagement of therolled eye 43 upon collar 53. The washers 49 and 5| are of a diameter inexcess of that of collar 56 and of eye 43 for purposes of laterallydetaining the eye 43 on the collar 59. The axis of rotation of prop 42is substantially at right angles to the axis of hinge pintle 22.

In operation, the hood 23 normally lies in the full line position shownin Figure 1 and the dotted line position of Figure 2 with the padlock 4|in place. In such position, the hood protects the instrument 25, thevalves and other equipment from access by unauthorized persons. Whenempty tanks H are to be removed and replaced by full tanks, and forother operations, the padlock. is removed, and thehood raised to thefull line position shown in Figure 2. When the hood is in the loweredposition, the prop 42 occupies the position therein indicated inFigure 1. When such hood is raised, the prop 42 is swung down to theposition shown in Figure 2. The length of the prop is inferior to thedistance between the pivotal axis of the prop and a shoulder 54 of thebackplate formed by the offsetting of the section 24 outwardly from theattaching section I8 so as to enable the lower free end 45 of the propto clear this shoulder 54 in the fully raised position of the hood 23,after which the free end 45 may be alined with a perforation 55 in theshoulder 54 so that upon slightly lowering the hood 23, as for instanceto the full line position shown in Figure 2, such free end 45 of theprop may enter the perforation 55 until the offset part 44 of the propencounters shoulders 54. Thus the prop forms a support for the hood inthe raised position of such hood.

Referring more particularly to Figure 6, a modified form of locking arm38 is shown which is not diagonal but which is circular in asubstantially horizontal plane. The rear end portion of this locking arm39 is received against an intermediate portion of the offset section 24of the backplate where perforations 31 are made to receive fastenings 38passing through the locking arm and the backplate to hold the lockingarm supported from the backplate.

Thus the backplate may utilize at least two types of locking arms. Thehalf-circle locking arm 39 is more fully disclosed and claimed in myco-pending application entitled Gas installation housings filed March15, 1941, Serial No. 383,635.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only to the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A gas installation housing comprising a back plate havingattachingsections spaced apart and in substantially the same plane, saidbackplate having an intermediate forwardly-offset section providing aspace between said offset section and the support, said offset sectionhaving verfrom one another and having enlarged upper portions, saidoffset section also having vertically elongated slots located in spacedrelation to opposite sides of the first mentioned slots and invertically-stepped relation to one another and having enlarged openingsin their upper portions, whereby instruments having variously spacedheaded fastenings thereon may be removably secured to said back plate bypassing the headed fastenings through the enlarged upper portions ofselected slots in said back plate, a hood carried by the upper portionof said backplate for enveloping said instrument, and a locking meansfor the hood also carried by said offset section. v

2. A gas installation housing comprising a backplate having means tosecure the same to a support and provided with a forwardly offsetperforated shoulder, a hinge on the upper portion of the backplate abovesaid shoulder, a hood carried by said hinge and movable up and downabout the backplate, a prop pivotally carried within said hood on apivotal axis at right angles to the pivot of said hinge, said prophaving an offset portion for engaging and resting upon said shoulderanda free end below the offset portion to enter the perforation in saidshoulder, said prop being shorter than the distance between its pivotalpoint and shoulder'in the fully raised 7 position of the hood to enablethe free end of the prop to clear the shoulder in the act of downwardlyswinging said prop for engagement of its free end in the perforation ofthe shoulder.

.3. A gas installation housing comprising a I backplate, a hinge carriedby the upper portion of the backplate, a hood secured to said hinge andmovable therewith, a prop having a rolled eye at one end portion, acollar on which said eye is rotatably mounted, said collar beingslightly wider than said prop, washer of greater diameter than saidcollar fitted on opposite sides of said collar and said prop, afastening member passing through the hood and through said collar, eyeand the washers, and a cooperating fastening member secured to the.first fastening member at its lower portion, said prop having alaterally offset part near its free end, said backplate having aperforated shoulder for receivinfi the free end and offset part of saidprop.

. PETER A; ANDERSON.

